The 6-foot-7, 305-pound senior apparently got his leg rolled on the final drive of the first quarter. Hurst wasn't in the vision of ESPN's camera during the play and the network elected not to show the replay.

Hurst hopped off the field on one leg with help from the training staff and North Carolina proceeded to win the Belk Bowl, 39-17, over Cincinnati.

First-team All-ACC in 2012 and 2013, CBS Sports projected Hurst as a second- or third-round selection before the injury. The school did not offer a timetable for his recovery, but the injury almost certainly will affect what he will be able to do physically during pre-draft workouts like the NFL Combine.

“That was tough, now,” coach Larry Fedora said according to the Raleigh News & Observer. “James is a senior and playing in his last game in Carolina blue. That was tough to see him go down. And Appel stepped right up and we didn’t miss a beat.”